Visible card index



fil

Passes July 24, 1928.

ar n s rA'rEs PATENT Fries.

.AL'WIN VON AUW, OF BROOKLYN, NEW 'YQRK, ASSIGNOR TOBOOEUM & IPEASE COM- IPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YQRK, A CORPORATION OF NEXV YORK.

.VISIBLE omen r vnnx.

Application filed. July 29,

This invention relates to the overlapping type of visible index in whichthe cards have hinged slidable mounting and more particularly to the novel form of attachment of the cards to the panel and their inter-relation with each other. In an index made according to my invention a certain duplex lateral ear is formed outside the body of the card on each side thereof. These ears are made in such manner and of such relation to the body of the card that when the cards are assembled together on the panel they overlap in a non-nesting hinged'relation. f

Une of the objects of my invention is to provide an index from which individual metal carriers for the cards have been eliminated. Another object of my invention is to provide an extremely compact and simple form of card which it shall be economical to manufacture and extremely easy to manipulalte. Another object of my invention is to provide a card which canbe cut integrally out of one piece of sheet material and which is strong at the points where strain is apt to occur. Another object of my invention is to provide a perfectly flat writing surface for the cards in a visible index panel, and still another object of my invention is to provide a form of visible card index in which the whole surface of both sides of the record section of a card is available for writing while the card is in the visible index. Anotherobject of my invention is to provide a form of card whose record section can be formed intoan ordinary vertical index card.

In the drawings: ,7 Fig. 1 is a. plan view of one of the new index cards,

Fig. 2 is a. plan view of part of the'panel with cards therein, one flange of the panel being partly broken away,

'Fig. 3 is an exaggerated vertical section through the ears of the cards taken on the line 33 of Fig.2; -1

Fig. 4: is a horizontal section on the line l4 of Fig. 2, while y Fig. 5 is a plan view of onecorner of a modified form of card. f The novel form of visible index member or card which forms the nucleus of my invention comprises a rectangular body preferably having a straight upper edge 11 and a plain duplex ear composed. of two lobes 8, 9 extending laterally from each side of the body near its upper edge the two lobes of each ear 1926. Serial No. 125, 94..

being at diii'erent heights on the card. The body is hinged along a horizontal line l2 reachingfrom one free edge of the bodv to the other and generally, thoughnot neces sarily, the portion below the hinged line is large enough to be a record section 10. This novel membermay be used as a-carrier for another card by gluing or otherwise attaching the ordinary card to the member below the hinge line 12.- llowever, in this specification I shall describe the card as having a record section, and the remainder of the body and the duplex ears as made integrally out of one piece of sheet material. This material may be cardboard, paper or thelilre; Each duplex ear consists of two horizontal lobes 8, 9 separated from each other by a horizoutal slit which may be merely an incision in the sheet material or maybe formed by cutting out a little of the material between the cards to afford room for the flange ofuthe panel. Each ear is so placed on the card that its upper edge is in line with and merges into the upper edge 11 of thegbody. The lower end of the juncture between the ear and the body is preferably at the hinge line between the record section and theremainder of the body; Each lobe of the ear ispreferably formed with both its upper and lower edges horizontal, asshown in the drawings, but the edges of the tongues can be out at any angle provided the whole ear does not project above or below the juncture of the ear with the body, i. e., each ear is of its maximumvertical dimension at its juncture with the body. The lower lobe 9 may be shorter than the lobe 8 if desired (see lobe 9 in Fig. 5) and" greater ease thus obtained in attach ing the card to the panel.

While the hinge line 12 can be located at any level which permits it torun between free edges of the body I prefer to have the hinge line 12 located right at the lower end of the junctures between'the ears and the body. The line can be formed by creasing or weakening the paper or in any other manner desired. i l l I Byhaving ears of this kind a non-nesting card is produced with all the advantages of that type'of card and none of the disadvan tages.

This novel form of card is intended to be mounted on a panel or --baclring 6 having two opposed inwardly facing flanges 7 under which portions of the card may b6 placed. The inner edges of these parallel :tlan 'es should be spaced apart a distance which permits the body of the card to lie 'mounting the card the upper lobe 8 of each ear is laid on top of the flange while the lower lobe 9 is laid underneath, the slits between the ears being deep'euoughto permit this. The slit can be made still deeper, if desired, thus making it possible to attach the card without flexing it, by turning the cart sideways.

When a series of depending cards are mounted in the panel in this manner the body 10 0t any one card should overlie the body of the card below, and the cards will then overlap. It will then be found that the upper edge 11 of any card rests against the card above it at the junctures between the lower edges of the ehrs and the body of the upper card. It is impossible for one card to pass the other and the necessary overlap is obtained. As already mentioned, the ears are so shaped and attached to the body of the card that there is no nesting. It will be observed that by my invention the necessary non-nesting engagement between neighboring cards is obtained by the use of an ear on-the upper card underlying the flange and the body of that card, which neither overlies nor underlies the flange, overlying the straight upper edge of the lower card, thus reducing the number of portions of the card which have to be manipulated in attaching the card to the panel.

By having duplex ears projecting laterally from the body of the card and employing the body of the card to assist in maintaining the overlap, it becomes necessary only to tear or cut oil these duplex ears to obtain the ordinary vertical record card without any punchings therein or'alterations in the shape. Similarly ears can very easily be gummed onto the ordinary record card when it is desired to mount that card in a visible index. lhe advantages of such interchangeability will be obvious without further comment. By thus having a card attached to its support or panel by means laterally outside the body of theicard, the bodies of the cards lie flatly on top of each other on the flat surface in between the two flanges. It is therefore possible to write with perfect ease on the cards while they are in the index, even when'the cards are made of paper.

The cards are simple and yet at the same time do not nest, and the index is positive in its maintenance of overlap and yet permits removal. or insertion of a card vithout disturbing the neighboring cards.

I claim:

1.. A visible index member comprising a body in combination with'a duplex ear projecting laterally from each side of the body and integral therewith, the two lobes of each car bein at dillerent heights and the upper edge of each ear merging into the upperedge of the body and each car being of its maximum vertical dimension at its j uneti'ire wi th the body.

2. A visible index member comprising a body having a straight upper edge in combination with a duplex ear projecting laterally from each side of the body, the upper edge of each ear merging into the upper edge of the body, each ear having two lobes sepa rated by a horizontal slit, and being of its maximum vertical dimension at its juncture with the body.

3. A visible index card con'iprising a body havinga straight upper edge, in combination with an ear having two lobes separated by a A horizontal slit projecting laterally from each side of the body and joined thereto from the upper edge, the ears not projecting above or below their junctures with the body, said body having a hinge line running between the free side edges thereof.

l. A visible index card comprising a rectangular body having a straight upper edge and including a record section joined to the remainder of the body by a horizontal hinge line reaching between free edges of the body, in combination with a duplex ear projecting laterally from each side of the body, the upper edge of each ear merging into the upper edge of the body, substantiallyas described.

5. A visible index card comprising a rec tangular body having a straight upper edge and including a record sectionjoined to the remainder of the body by a hinge line, in combination with a duplex ear projecting laterally from each side of the body and joined thereto fromthe upper edge to the hinge line, the ears not projecting above or belowtheir junctures with the body.

6. A visible index comprising a panel having opposed inwardly facing flanges in combination with a series of overlapping cards each having abody overlying the body of the card below but not overlapping the flanges, and an ear having two lobes projecting laterally from each side of the body, the upper edge of each upper lobe merging into the upper edge of the body and overlying one flangewhile the lower lobe underlies that flange. f

. 7. A visible index comprising a panel having parallel inwardly facing flanges in combination with a series of overlappingeards each having a body overlying the body of the card below, but not overlapping the flanges, said body having a straight upper edge and including a record section joined to the remainder of the body by a hinge line,

in combination with a duplex ear projecting laterally from each side of the body and inc joined thereto from the upper edge to the hinge line, the ears not projecting above or below their junctures with the body, substantially as described.

8. A visible index member comprising a body having a straight upper edge in combi nation with a duplex ear projecting laterally from each side of the body, the upper edge of each ear merging into the upper edge of the body, each ear having two lobes separated by a horizontal slit, and being of its maximum vertical dimension at its juncture v with the body, the lower lobe of each ear being shorter than the upper lobe of that 9. A visible index comprisinga panel having opposed inwardly facing flanges in combination with a series of overlapping cards each having a body overlying the body of the card below but not overlapping the flanges, and an ear having two lobes projecting laterally from each side of the body, the upper edge of each upper lobe merging into the upper edge of the body and overlying one flange While the lower lobe underlies that flange, the lower lobe of each ear beIiJng shorter than the corresponding upper 10 e.

10. A visible index member comprising a body having a straight upper edge in combination with a duplex ear projecting laterally from each side of the body, the upper edge ofeach ear merging into the upper edge of thebody, each ear having two lobes separated by a horizontal slit, and being of its maximum vertical dimension at its juncture with the body, one lobe of each ear being shorter than the other'lobe of that ear, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALWIN VON AUW. 

